Painting my way through Indiana's state parks

Author: Tamara Brown

My morning plein air demonstration was set up on the observation deck overlooking the park’s fossil beds with a good view of Louisville’s historic railroad bridge. And yes, we saw a couple of trains cross over while we were there.

A group gathered for the special three-hour Saturday morning hike that can walk over to the outer fossil beds and dam (seen in the distance) this time of year when the water level is low. The gentleman in the foreground wearing a brown hat is Louisville native Erik Bendl otherwise known as World Guy.

These high school students stopped by to talk about art and animation while they waited for the fossil hike to start.

The wind began to pick up later in the morning, creating interesting shifts in color and pattern on the water while I couldn’t resist painting that little tree in the corner.

Our first family of artists for the day bravely battled very windy conditions to create some beautiful artwork, on display here with some cool driftwood that can be found abundantly along the riverbank.

This young artist used my little homemade paintbox to create an active landscape complete with trees and mountain climbers.

We took advantage of some large limestone boulders as windbreaks outside the interpretive center while inviting park guests to paint with us.

These two young artists were trying out the glitter watercolor paints for added glitz to their artwork.

An example of the wide variety of things you can paint. This artist has her own version of the Sonic character that she likes to create.

And here he is with a different look using watercolor pencil and crayons.

I love how water is applied to achieve the different textures in this example.

Albertus Gorman, artist and art advocate displays his watercolor landscape while a figure from his found object installation has been perfectly captured by Albertus’s friend in his painting on the right.

Another great conversation about art in view of the award-winning Interpretive Center. Offering three thousand square feet of immersive exhibits, history tours and river viewing, you can easily spend a whole day learning about the history of this unique area.

Showing some participants how to use the water brushes as they pick out a variety of supplies for their paintings.

More than one set of eyes is admiring this young artist’s creativity.

I love the placement of the trees in this colorful landscape!

This family of hikers stopped by to paint, proving that you can still create art while wearing your gear!

Our last painting of the day and for the year before skies opened up. Great capture of a landscape under pressure!

Last weekend my 2017 Arts in the Parks grant program came to its conclusion high upon bluffs overlooking a unique landscape of barren prehistoric fossil beds in sharp contrast to the sleek skyline of Louisville on the other side of the Ohio River. In the shade of the impressive 16,000 square-foot Interpretive Center showcased by Indiana’s twentieth state park, I enjoyed painting expansive views while meeting all kinds of creative folks visiting that day.

For my morning painting demonstration, I found a protected spot on the Interpretive Center’s observation deck where hikers gathered for one of the park’s weekend tours to the fossil beds and beyond. This time of year, the dam that runs parallel to the bank lowers water levels enough for visitors to walk over to outer rock beds that are part of an island often submerged by spring floods. I learned that it’s critical for the beds to be consistently flooded to keep from drying out and deteriorating, which seems counterintuitive considering they are made of hard limestone.

For a couple of hours, I painted part of the dam built in the 1920s as well as the upper and lower fossil beds created 387 million years ago when corals, sponges, brachiopods and other aquatic life flourished under a shallow tropical sea, and were buried in layers of limey sediment that caused them to fossilize. During the glacial retreat of the last Ice Age, meltwater scoured the limestone deposits, exposing the Devonian fossil beds and providing a marvelous look at prehistoric life forms preserved in stone for the modern-day visitor.

Unlike many of my demonstrations in the parks, this particular morning I had little use for green paint since the fossil beds resemble more of a moonscape than the usual Indiana scene, even during the autumn droughts which are typical for this area. As predicted, the wind began to really pick up before noon, and I started to lose the shade provided by the building. I always bring a special plein air umbrella that can be clipped to my easel for shade, but couldn’t use it that day unless I wanted my painting setup to sail off the cliffs and over the river like Mary Poppins.

Around noon we found a windbreak for my hands-on painting activity behind some boulders near a welcoming picnic area, still in sight of the river and fossil beds, where I engaged with many visitors who were heading toward the interpretive center or coming back from a hike down to the upper fossil beds on an easy path. Overall, I engaged with 60 park guests with 14 kids and adults trying out the water brushes and painting supplies.

I also met two Louisville artists who express their creativity in very different ways. Erik Bendl, otherwise known as World Guy, stopped to talk after collecting driftwood deposited along the river shoreline by high water. He has walked over six thousand miles pushing a large world globe for diabetes awareness and you can read more about his adventures at World Guy. Albertus Gorman, an artist and art advocate who has an exhibit inside the interpretive center as well as an installation of figurative sculptures near the railroad bridge made from found materials deposited by the river, encourages the public to interact or add to his evolving artwork. Please check out his installations and exhibits at Artist at Exit O Riverblog.

This wraps up another successful grant year at Paints in the Parks. As I prepare my final report, I’m very grateful to the Indiana Arts Commission, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and my immediate family for their support and encouragement over these last six months of unpredictable weather and challenging terrain. I especially appreciate all of the park guests I’ve met throughout this program, who are open to painting in all kinds of conditions, and courageous in their creativity. I will always treasure your willingness to engage with nature through art. It’s what keeps me going as I continue my journey to paint in all of Indiana’s state parks. Thank you for joining me.

As the dust settles from my third application for another Arts in the Parks grant in 2018, I’ve returned to the studio to avoid an odd post-Labor Day heat wave, and prepare for another September visit to Spring Mill. Hard to believe exactly a year has passed since my first painting trip down to Mitchell, Indiana, the birthplace of astronaut Gus Grissom and home to one of Indiana’s best known state parks.

I’ll be bringing with me completed artwork from last year’s visit, including an 8″ x 10″ oil painting of the wooded bank near the entrance to Twin Caves. I found a great spot to set up and visit with a crowd of park guests waiting for their boat ride into the caves the morning of my program last year. And I was able to get a good start on this view of fallen logs left to decay, creating a natural environment for all sorts of plant and animal life. Back at home, I’ve enjoyed playing with the differences between what is above and below the waterline, helped by the surface refraction of light and shadow.

Glad to be back enough from the edge of the water so that a life vest wasn’t as necessary as they were for the boat riders. Adventures in art!

Who knew that rotting logs could be so pretty! I especially enjoyed painting the wildflowers growing out of the little oasis created by branches just above the water.

The afternoon rain showers that day forced me to seek shelter in a breezeway between log cabins while working with a pastel of the three-story limestone grist mill that is the centerpiece of Spring Mill’s pioneer village. Since pastels and precipitation don’t mix (unless you want an accidental watercolor) I had to make some creative choices about omitting details such as the unfortunately placed little tree in the foreground. No matter, I was able to take some better photos when the rain ended that helped me fill in details later and finish this 5″ x 7″ pastel on sanded paper in the studio.

This is my view for the afternoon with the unfortunately placed tree in the foreground. Fortunately in art, you can always be selective about what you include.

The rough texture and small size make details a challenge but gave me an excuse to fudge on the window panes!

A year later, I’m preparing to paint the grist mill again, this time with oils. I confess that I’m not particularly confident about my skills in rendering buildings, especially using brushes since I have much more experience with drawing. And I find that trees and organic natural forms are much more forgiving than linear edges and the dreaded two-point perspective. I prefer to eyeball and claim near-sighted impressionism as my inspiration.

Last year, I promised to return to Spring Mill in honor of the bicentennial of the grist mill, begun in 1817, with several revisions throughout the years. I particularly admire the stone pillars of the flume that transports water to power the mill wheel from cave springs up the hill. Perhaps I’ll find a shady spot underneath those pillars since, unlike last year, the day promises to be nothing but sun in the upper 80s. But I’m grateful to be able to take these challenges in stride because I’m aware that life, as in painting, is made more interesting in its contrasts.

I began the day by painting the beautiful barn that houses the park’s one-of-a-kind 1850s hay press. I couldn’t wait to capture that gorgeous stonework.

There were plenty of talented artisans and musicians at the Living Pioneer Farmstead also creating their forms of art.

The 1850s hay press powered by oxen is an impressive example of practical art.

The afternoon painting activity was set up outside the hay press barn and museum, where a demonstration of the hay press took place later that day.

The response was wonderful with nearly 100 participants, and the courtyard at Hickory Hollow Nature Center provided plenty of seating.

Ann, a volunteer at the Living Pioneer Farmstead, joined the painting activity as part of their children’s craft on special weekends. She provided frames that could be decorated with stickers for everyone’s artwork!

And here’s the fantastic results with the framed artwork. Great idea, Ann!

Proof that art can make you happy despite life’s bumps and bruises.

First piece of colorful artwork for the day!

A portrait painting with my favorite hair color.

Father and daughter get in on the act. Making memories for a fun camping trip.

Batman AND Superman! Can’t beat that combo

Another successful watercolor signed by the artist.

I see a barn and some nature, perfectly capturing the park experience.

An amazing painting of one of the beautiful oxen who are part of the hay press demonstration.

Just look at the vibrant color you can achieve with watercolor paints, pencils and crayons!

Another wonderful painting and frame combo thanks to Ann and the children’s craft!

Definitely a fun aquatic, sea animal, pirate theme going on here!

Great to see adults participate and express their talents. Art isn’t just for kids!

Cool artwork using watercolors and micron art pens that stay put after you apply them.

After a couple of unusually cold and rainy days, it was good to see sunny blue skies, especially in this artwork!

Another sun with a great caption: Camping is forever!

Another fun combination of watercolor with micron pen as a nice detail.

This young artist was too busy fine-tuning his artwork to look at the camera. I know the feeling!

Very nice color combination and details here!

More sun and flowers. Nothing better!

I love how the watercolors match her stamps. Great job!

Some more fun artwork with trees and earth tones.

I love the variety of colors used. Beautiful abstract.

From words to trees, I’m always impressed with all the different kinds of creativity at every event.

I believe there’s a baseball theme going on here.

And here’s an homage to band.

Some brave artists even used sparkle watercolor directly on copy paper and it worked! Look at the bling.

These young artists show the variety of sizes and colors available for artwork using paint, crayons, pencils and pens.

And you can use the back of the watercolor cards for another painting!

A couple of gorgeous framed tree paintings.

Seems like each year that I offer my state park program, there’s always one event where I need to make the difficult decision of whether to go ahead on the scheduled date (usually a Saturday) or wait until the next day (usually a Sunday). Last year, Indiana Dunes presented this dilemma, although I’d already booked a hotel just in case. This year, the remnants of Hurricane Harvey threw a very soggy wrench into my plans, forcing me to decide whether to risk a five-hour roundtrip drive that might have been in vain.

Based on the weather forecasters’ best guesses and my previous experience with every hurricane’s notorious unpredictability, I decided to postpone my Labor Day Saturday event at O’Bannon Woods State Park until Sunday. And even when Harvey’s rain did end on Saturday morning in southern Indiana after a 24-hour drenching, the day actually became colder with a damp north wind. Sunday, on the other hand, couldn’t have been more beautiful, as often happens after a hurricane passes through, and I was assured by staff and visitors that I’d made the right choice.

Located west of Louisville in extreme south central Indiana along the Ohio River, the 2,294-acre park was originally established in 1980 as a recreational area called Wyandotte Woods, and renamed in honor of Indiana’s late Governor Frank O’Bannon and his family in 2004. This secluded and beautiful park is nestled within one of Indiana’s largest state forests, the 24,000-acre Harrison-Crawford, which is a timber source that also offers canoeing, hiking, hunting, fishing, birding and swimming.

I spent my day at the charming Hickory Hollow Nature Center, which houses one of the best nature and wildlife collections and exhibits of any park I’ve visited so far. Directly behind the nature center, visitors will find an outdoor wetlands pond, living-history demonstrations in a pioneer farmstead, and a restored, historically accurate 1850s hay press and barn with its own museum. On special weekends throughout the year, demonstrations of the hay press using one of two oxen housed at the farmstead are offered, as well as numerous interactive demonstrations that include tomahawk throwing, archery, rope making, blacksmithing, yarn spinning, log sawing and even panning for gold.

In the morning, I painted the hay press barn where the beautifully crafted stonework on the ramp leading up to the main barn doors caught my eye. Situated along the main path to the pioneer farmstead and all the activities, I had plenty of chances to engage with not only park visitors but also the friendly volunteers who spend many hours sharing their talents and expertise for the love of the park and what they do. In fact, my husband and I were welcomed with hot coffee and blueberry pancakes fresh off a cast iron griddle over an open fire as soon as we arrived. You can’t beat that!

Around noon, I set up for my painting activity in the sunny courtyard between the nature center and the barn where the hay press demonstration takes place. Almost immediately, visitors were lining up to try out my water brushes and paint supplies. Ann, one of the volunteers from the pioneer farmstead, joined me to offer frames for completed artwork as part of their children’s craft. The paper frames glued to regular copy paper could be decorated with crayons and stickers, and some participants even used watercolor paint! The frames really added to the artistic experience, and I was very grateful for Ann’s idea that could be a great creative option in the future.

Even during the hay press demonstration, with 400 visitors in attendance, there were still plenty of artists outside painting on the convenient picnic tables while the sun shone, the birds called and butterflies landed on flowers in the wetlands pond. In total, O’Bannon Woods broke all the Paints in the Parks records so far, with over 200 interactions and 85 painting participants! It was so gratifying to watch entire families painting at picnic tables, with multi-generations peacefully sharing paints and water brushes, chatting and laughing. Several parents remarked on how easy and natural this activity is, but how seldom it seems to happen at home.

Since I ran out of almost all my supplies after such a tremendous turnout, I was able to wrap up with enough time to tour the farmstead myself, interact with the artisans who were demonstrating their own skills, and admire the many forms of creativity and art offered. In fact, the hay press itself is a marvelous piece of art in my opinion, with its hand-carved wood and practical beauty. Of course, I need to return one of these days so I can see this art put into action!

I spent an unusually crisp August morning at the overlook by the mighty Ohio, trying to paint my first barge before it disappeared around the bend.

Sandra and William from New Albany stopped in for a wonderful discussion about art, photography, history and all the state parks we’ve visited. Besides painting, meeting new nature lovers is the best part of my programs.

Still trying to get that barge detail right

Julie, a colleague from my library days found me on Rose Island. It was great meeting her parents, Marge and Del, who made the steep trek down to the site of the old amusement park turned nature preserve.

Julie, a colleague from my library days found me on Rose Island. It was great meeting her parents, Marge and Del, who made the steep trek down to the site of the old amusement park turned nature preserve.

I enjoyed painting with chalk pastels in dappled shade at the entrance to the Walkway of Roses where climbing roses covered the three arches in the amusement park’s heyday.

It was nice meeting a fellow artist and watercolor painter along the trail.

One of Charlestown’s sturdy picnic shelters provided plenty of shade for the evening’s painting activity.

Father and son trying out the water brushes and some new metallic watercolor paints.

I love this young artist’s choice of colors and message: “Colors are magic.” I certainly agree!

There were plenty of art goodies on the table to try out at the end of a perfect day at Charlestown.

This young artist painted two colorful versions of my favorite subject–water!

The beautiful August day I spent at Charlestown State Park on the Ohio River near Louisville was one for the record books. While enjoying a flawless blue sky and crisp breeze, I painted barges on the river, discovered ruins on a mysterious island, and talked to many visitors who couldn’t believe that this was August with such fall-like weather.

Established in 1996 as one of the newest state parks, Charlestown’s 5,000-acre parcel is bordered by the Ohio which is fed by Fourteenmile Creek that runs through the park, one of the oldest unglaciated stream valleys in Indiana. Mostly open farmland or pasture at the turn of the century, much of the park’s reforestation occurred under the resource management of the US Army, which operated an ammunition plant on the property from 1940 to 1995.

For my morning demonstration, I set up my easel for oils at one of two overlooks along the Ohio near the park’s boat landing where I attempted to paint my first barge as they slowly came into view around a distant bend in the river. While engaging in some great conversations about art and life with visitors who stopped by to experience the river, we saw fish nibbling at the rocky edges and plenty of herons soaring high in an empty blue sky. No chance to practice painting clouds that day.

After lunch, I headed down a very steeply graded road across Fourteenmile Creek to Rose Island, the site of a 1920s amusement park that was heavily damaged in the infamous 1937 flood that also affected Louisville downstream. Luckily, the DNR van was able to drive me and all my supplies to my painting site across an old 1913 truss-style bridge relocated to provide access to the island. Only a few concrete and stone structures remain of the amusement park that welcomed 135,000 guests a year, offering rental cottages along the river as well as a hotel, swimming pool, dance hall, rollercoaster and zoo.

I positioned my easel at the entrance to the Walkway of Roses where climbing vines once covered the three arches that can still be seen near the foundation of the dance hall. The arches were also lit back in the 1920s providing a romantic path on those happy summer evenings before the Depression and World War II. Now, only the stone and metal arches remain, with young trees growing in between the posts and nature doing her best to hide the island’s secrets of the past. The purposes to some of the remnants remain unknown, and archaeological digs on the island have yielded artifacts from both the amusement park and indigenous people who lived in the area.

My demonstration along the trail provided a stopping point for the Rose Island Guided History tour led by interpretive naturalist Jeremy Beavins, where I talked to over twenty participants about my program and the supplies I’d brought that day. That evening, some visitors from the tour group met me at one of the spacious picnic shelters for my hands-on watercolor activity. Painting in the golden rays of the setting sun while listening to song birds was the perfect ending to a wonderful day at Charlestown, where I interacted with over 50 visitors overall.

Many thanks to the DNR staff who promoted my program and made it easy to experience the best of Charlestown. I hope to return soon so I can go on the complete Rose Island guided tour and hear the rest story.

My first stop of the day was the observation deck on Trail 2 overlooking wetlands where the Tippecanoe and Wabash Rivers connect. Since there was plenty of space on a level surface, I used a folding table at its highest height setting to spread out my art supplies.

With only a brief break for a rain shower, I was able to get a good start on a great view of the marsh area and Harrison Creek, which was very active after all the recent rains

After lunch, I set up another painting demonstration under the shade shelter at the Native American village with the help of naturalists Shannon and Justin, who also tried out the water brushes and watercolor supplies.

The naturalists also provided freshly mashed berries from pokeweed to use as paint. Indigenous peoples used poke berries as a dye, especially for clothing. I loved the color and consistency, and really enjoyed painting with it.

I began a pastel of the Granary at the Indian Village protected from the harsh sun by an effective layer of pine branches on the roof of the shade shelter.

One of our first visitors was a ground squirrel attracted to a basket of hazelnuts used as an exhibit. Villagers would sit under the shade shelter in the heat of the day to shell nuts and grind corn.

A family with two young artists stop by under the shade shelter to paint with watercolors and poke berry juice.

And this is the result. They did a great job, and I think that pokeberry paint is a perfect compliment to regular watercolors, don’t you?

More artists trying out the water brushes and watercolor pencils.

Here’s another beautiful example of combining pokeberry juice with regular watercolors. I dare you to tell the difference!

This artist chose to honor our red display table by making it the focus of his painting. An exact likeness in complementary colors!

A first for Paints in the Parks, Prophetstown’s main painting activity took place in the evening at the popular campground next to the shower building. Interpretive naturalist Angie Manuel began by giving a brief introduction and background to the Arts in Parks and Historic Sites program.

Showing several eager young artists how to use the art supplies.

Angie brought an inspirational assortment of natural objects and artifacts to use for painting subjects, while providing information and fascinating facts about them as we painted.

A full lineup of picnic tables provided the perfect space to paint outside.

Participants could select some of Angie’s nature treasures like this dragonfly and praying mantis (with egg cases) to bring to their tables for closer inspection while they painted.

Everyone had a chance to try out different art supplies and techniques.

Even the youngest artists can handle the water brushes with a little help from the grownups

This young artist enjoyed trying out the watercolor crayons and micron pens for some painting AND drawing.

This artist tried out the water brushes, pencils and crayons for her colorful landscape and sunset.

This artist explored the detail she could achieve with the watercolor pencils. Nicely done!

Another happy artist with his colorful masterpiece.

This shy artist is showing off her happy face in the painting.

These prolific young artists covered lots of subjects and techniques in their paintings.

This young artist used the tree in the background as her subject — a true example of plein air painting at its best!

Shannon not only helped me out as an interpretive naturalist at my painting demonstrations during the day, but she also brought her family back in the evening to participate in the painting activity. Above and beyond!

This young artist successfully captured the delicate detail in a feather and the bold glow of a sunset. Quite a range!

And here’s the flip side to the feather. The thick watercolor paper we use and watercolor’s fast drying properties make it easy to create another painting on the back.

Another inspirational nature scene with a striking contrast between the bold birds and the translucent background.

This father-daughter artist team studied a turtle shell that Angie provided. I love all the detail in their paintings!

This prolific young artist used a wide variety of subject matter in her paintings, including that dragonfly on display at the table and the name of the park where this was painted. Artwork can record great memories of your park visit.

Some more great mementos of a fun camping weekend while being photobombed by another young artist.

Some more colorful paintings where Angie’s dragonfly makes another appearance and a pet fish is copied from a phone photo taken at home. There’s no limit to subject matter when you’re creative.

My visit to Indiana’s newest state park this month challenged me to try out alternative equipment in new locations that differed from my typical schedule. Prophetstown’s unique blend of prairie, wetland and woods honors the memory of important Native American history while providing the perfect setting for painting and interaction. As if that wasn’t enough, this new state park also features several picnic areas, bike trails, an aquatic center, extensive campground and a 1920s small-scale working farm.

Established in 2004, the park sits at the edge of what was originally a tallgrass prairie, with areas of open oak woodlands. Glaciers passed across the park at least three times, creating the landscape that I was lucky to paint during my visit. My morning painting demonstration was located at an observation deck overlooking the wetlands and floodplain where the Tippecanoe River meets the Wabash. Harrison Creek flows close to the platform from a pond and fen created by those same glaciers, and was running high that morning from all the recent rains.

For the first time since I began painting in the parks I arrived without the tripod that attaches to my paintbox, reenforcing the need for a packing list (that I have already written upon return). Luckily, I was able to use my 4-foot folding table set to its highest height, and could spread out the paintbrushes, paint palette and my water container on a stable surface. When I had to pack up and retreat to the car for a brief rain shower, I was able to leave the table set up since it was waterproof. I returned to continue work on the oil painting I’d started while talking to nine visitors and observed many shorebirds and waterfowl, including great blue herons and kingfishers.

After lunch, I set up another painting demonstration under the shade shelter at the Native American Village located in the restored prairie near the visitors center. The collection of structures that includes a medicine lodge, council house and chief’s cabin replicates a settlement established by Tecumseh, who was Shawnee, and his brother Tenskwatawa (The Prophet) in 1808 to stop the European westward settlement.

Forced from his homelands in Ohio, Tecumseh formed an alliance with the Ojibwe, Delaware, Kickapoo, Miami, Ottawa, Potawatomi, Shawnee, Wea, Wyandot, Winnebago, Fox, Sac, Creek and Menominee, hoping to repel the advance of European settlement. They congregated at Prophetstown, and heard The Prophet speak. While Tecumseh was away recruiting more support, The Prophet decided to strike first in the early morning hours of Nov. 7, 1811, where he engaged William Henry Harrison, governor of the Indiana Territory, and his 1,200 troops in the Battle of Tippecanoe that lasted two hours. Defeated, the villagers retreated to Wildcat Creek while Harrison’s men burned Prophetstown to the ground.

Pine branches layering the roof of the shelter provided marvelous shade while I began a pastel of the granary and talked to 13 visitors that hot afternoon. Two children and two adults tried out my watercolor brushes, paints, pencils and crayons along with two members of the DNR staff. The naturalists also provided pokeweed berry juice that was used as a dye by the indigenous people, and became an excellent paint for my painting activity. I was amazed by its color and consistency, and thoroughly appreciated how the poke berries blended in perfectly with the watercolor paints.

After an early dinner at a local restaurant in the town of Battle Ground and a tour of the battlefield along Burnett’s Creek where The Prophet’s warriors met Harrison’s troops, I returned to Prophetstown for an evening painting program at the campground next to the shower house. The head interpretive naturalist, Angie Manuel, not only introduced me as part of Indiana’s Arts in the Parks and Historic Sites with a brief background of the grant program, but she brought lots of natural objects and artifacts found on the park grounds for participants to paint.

We had a great turnout with 30 campers showing up for the presentation, and 26 kids and adults participating in the painting activity. All told, I engaged with nearly 50 people throughout the day at Prophetstown, and learned so much myself about the history of the park and the culture of the Native Americans who maintained the prairie landscape for hunting and gathering. And if you visit this beautiful park, be sure to stop by the stone circle located in the northeast corner of the park near the observation deck and basketball court, which includes a number of stones bearing plaques representing the known Native American tribes that lived at Prophetstown.

As temps finally flirt with the upper 90s outside, I have returned to the air-conditioned studio to finish my series of paintings begun during last year’s Arts in the Parks grant. I’m taking up where I left off after my midpoint post back in April (!) of this year highlighting paintings from last July’s Turkey Run State Park. By August, I was hiking the sandy trails and beaches of Indiana’s own sand dunes after a powerful storm on Saturday made me wait until the following day to ply my brush and pastel sticks.

My first stop on that Sunday morning was a quiet set up under the bird observation tower at the end of the beach, which gave some excellent shade and shelter from the winds. I enjoyed using water-mixable oils to capture the changing cloud cover that rolled through the area. Breaks of sunlight and shifting winds made the textures on Lake Michigan’s surface and the direction of the waves a challenge to catch in time. Since visitor traffic to the tower was intermittent, I had plenty of opportunities to try different techniques while I noted all the colors of the lake, from stormy blues to iridescent greens to delicate pinks and lavenders.

A nice overlook from the base of the observation tower.

I completed this little 6″ x 8″ oil panel in one sitting.

In the afternoon, I tried out a new surface for my pastel painting by using an Ampersand pastelbord, which is a clay and gesso coated hardboard panel with a granular marble dust finish comparable to a sanded pastel paper. This particular 9″ X 12″ sample was tinted dark grey which alleviated the dreaded “white canvas” syndrome and brought out bright pastel tones. My subject was found in the wetlands running behind the park’s grassy dunes with a very wide and accessible boardwalk overlooking a particularly enticing bend in the ribbon of contrasting reddish-brown water that wound through the green button-bush marsh.

The rough texture of the board held my soft pastels well, with very little dust waste. Plus, the panel was easy to clip onto my easel, and unlike my Wallis paper which requires taping to a sturdy piece of foam board, it was ready to go when I needed it. My biggest challenge was making a slit to take off the plastic wrap. (A visitor who stopped by to watch suggested using one of my house keys, and it worked!) My only complaint about the 9 x 12 size is that getting a good start can be difficult when you’re busy talking to a steady stream of folks strolling along the boardwalk between the campgrounds and beach. I had to finish at home, and as you can see, it took many months to bring this rather impressionistic painting to a point where I was satisfied that I’d captured the strong afternoon light.

I got a good start on this large (for me) pastelbord painting of the wetlands behind the sand dunes.

I had fun using soft chalk pastels on this 9″ x 12″ Ampersand pastelbord in grey!

In addition, I’m including a pre-event acrylic painting from an earlier reconnaissance visit to the park’s Devil’s Slide, an extremely vertical part of the hiking trail with some interesting sand patterns that I thought would be fun to paint. Since I wasn’t located on the beach during my Arts in the Parks demonstrations, this was a good way to practice a “beach-y” scene for one of my landscape experiences.

I was especially intrigued by the patterns made in the sand by sliding daredevils on Devil’s Slide.

This was one of the few works in acrylic that I painted last year because acrylics dry fast outside. 8″ x 10″ panel.

As to whether I’ll keep any of these paintings or reuse the panels, I’ll add that Ampersand’s pastelbord requires special framing with glass and spacers under the mat, or fixative that can change the colors considerably. Another option would be to wash the pastels off the panel for a fresh start, instead of having to paint over with white paint or gesso like you do with oils and acrylics. And, Ampersand says I can try oils or acrylic on their boards for interesting effects, as well. Stay tuned!

First stop at my morning painting location, a family camping for the weekend and interested in art met me on Trail 3 overlooking Worster Lake across from the swimming beach.

I had the pleasure of sharing the plein air art experience with Brendan who’s heading to Ball State in the fall.

Brendan working with charcoal in his sketchbook full of amazing art.

We got busy in a hurry at the Potato Creek nature center at noon.

First masterpiece of the day was by this young artist. That colorful helicopter is ready to take off!

This artist took the opportunity to pay tribute to her favorite singer in watercolors.

This family took advantage of the mobility of the watercolor supplies to go inside the nature center to paint from observation. Lots of cool nature subjects inside!

This artistic couple also took their supplies inside the nature center to paint what they saw at the feeders from the wildlife observation window.

Now that’s a turtle having a good day! Looks like the artist was, too. Smiles all around.

I was happy to see familiar faces from my morning demonstration return to create art themselves. They picked a nice shady spot to work their magic.

A mother and daughter artist team in action and sharing their colorful creations.

Another happy participant displaying her artwork full of beautiful blues.

All ages can enjoy the sun and fresh air in their own ways. Plus make another fantastic painting!

And the masterpieces keep coming! I love the soft blending of pastels here.

Budding artists proudly displaying their dad’s cool painting of the bike racks nearby. There’s so much out there to observe and capture in your own unique way.

This young artist’s painting shows an expert application of watercolor pencil.

What a big smile, and I can’t help beaming over that wonderful painting of an osprey on display in the nature center.

Such a harmonious combination of color! I don’t know where this is, but I’m ready to go there and relax.

Another fantastic watercolor of an owl in the nature center, which is a great resource for painting subjects and observing details close up.

I really like the intense colors this artistic couple chose for their art. Their work comes alive!

When there was standing room only at the paint table, we kept the art going by providing tablecloths for comfortable painting in the grass. Gotta strike while the inspiration is hot!

This young artist shows us what watercolors do best in her masterpiece.

Doesn’t get any better than when your cool car painting matches your shirt!

This young artist tried out the watercolor crayons that are a new addition to the painting activity this year. I’d say it was a big success!

Lots of movement and brilliant color in this artist’s creation.

Eyes and trees. Do you need anything else? I sure don’t think so. Great job!

Enjoying a shady spot by the nature center to try out the waterbrushes.

And the gorgeous results from waterbrushes and a little paint, plus a fun time painting outside.

This group of artists displays not only their fabulous artwork, but also reminds us that your finished projects make good birthday cards or Father’s Day presents. Just sayin’.

More artful critters painted from the endless subjects and attractions that can be found in the state park nature centers. Plus, there was AC and wireless as an added bonus.

I thoroughly enjoyed this artistic family’s insightful questions, participation and colorful paintings, as well as having a great discussion about art!

I was in awe of this young artist’s capture of a nearby bench and architectural details, especially his use of perspective and color choices.

I spent lots of time in the company of some talented artists down at the beach for my afternoon painting demonstration. What a wonderful spot to work on a summer afternoon and talk about my favorite subject–art!

My artist/illustrator daughter attracted a crowd when she shared her artwork while sketching at the beach.

Peeking at her sketchbook as she advocates drawing for fun and relaxation.

This is rapidly becoming my day at the office. If there’s a better way to “work,” I haven’t found it yet.

Despite the ominous weather forecast, I couldn’t have ordered up a more perfect day at Potato Creek State Park, located just south of South Bend near North Liberty, Indiana. Named after the potato-like roots that were once collected by Native Americans along the creek banks, Potato Creek feeds into Worster Lake, a man-made reservoir begun in the 1930s by local conservationist Darcey Worster that covers 327 acres of the park’s six square miles. Dedicated in 1977, the park’s management programs are dedicated to restoring and maintaining Potato Creek’s unique natural areas and wetlands.

I began my visit to Potato Creek on Trail 3 overlooking a marshy inlet of Worster Lake directly across from the swimming beach. While setting up my easel to the bass tones of bullfrogs, I noted the lushness in the vegetation and trees that contrasted so well with the sculptural starkness of the decaying trunks and logs. I decided to try out an 8 x 10-inch clay panel using my water-mixable oils for the morning demonstration and engaged with six visitors, including one who arrived with art supplies prepared to join me in capturing the scene. It was a pleasure to have some artistic company and discover the same scenery through another’s interpretation.

Around noon, it was time to pack up and head toward the nature center on the other side of Worster Lake which took us through some meadows and prairie decked out in summer’s full glory. I was impressed with the size of this state park and the variety of recreational activities that its topography allows. I was informed that this particular park is a frequent location for triathlons and other outdoor challenges. As well as an extensive campground, the park offers facilities and areas for hiking, picnicking, swimming, boating, horseback riding and bike riding.

As the good weather held on, I was able to set up the hands-on watercolor activity outside in front of the nature center, where over 100 park visitors stopped by my art table, and a record 66 kids and adults tried out my waterbrushes, crayons, colored pencils and micron pens. Luckily, I didn’t run out of supplies while people spread out in all directions, including some who took advantage of the amazing exhibits inside the nature center to use as painting subjects and came back with their own renditions of turtles, owls, reptiles and even an osprey!

Several of the artists who visited me in the morning stopped by to try out my painting materials, and a homeschool family that shared my interests in art followed me to my next stop for the afternoon at the swimming beach. We settled down in a shady spot in the lawn under the trees overlooking the beach and had a marvelous discussion about various forms of art and techniques. Amazingly, the predicted violent thunderstorms stayed away as I visited with 27 park guests who were out enjoying the swimming, volleyball, hiking and bike trails. I used a regular canvas panel with oils to capture a beautiful scene on the lake, complete with a sailboat, kayaks and the bright spots of color from swimsuits and beach balls.

As we headed south in the light of a gorgeous sunset at the end of the day, I was very grateful that the weather forecasters were wrong for once, and I know that the nearly 150 park visitors I met that day were, too. As always, many thanks to the DNR staff who advertised and made me feel welcome, and the Indiana Arts Commission for helping to make painting in the parks possible.